Sugar Free Cornbread Muffins
I’ve been trying to get better at batch cooking and freezer cooking. It saves me so much in time, money and energy that I know it is worth it. But it does take some forward thinking and I’m often slow to plan it.
When I do though, it is a lifesaver.
I can batch cook veggies, wholegrains and proteins at the weekend that will make lunches instant, affordable and healthy throughout the week. I can make a large quantity of tomato sauce packed with pureed vegetables to make a simple tomato pasta dish suddenly far healthier simply by defrosting a jar of it straight from the freezer. I can make two lasagnes instead of one, giving me a “freezer meal” for the following week or month that is healthy and cheap but still just as easy as the pre-prepared shop-bought kind.
On a rough day, I am very grateful when I have thought ahead and we are still able to eat healthy, delicious and affordable food without it feeling like a faff.
When I was battling postpartum depression and anxiety, our support group brought up an interesting question: “do you have certain times of the day that are always harder”? The idea was that we could prepare for those times and make them as easy as possible so we wouldn’t find anxiety striking. What is funny is that even after the ‘fog’ lifted, I still found that advice to be extremely helpful. I think it applies to us all, particularly busy parents.
At the time, the hardest moments were the times when the kids and I were at our most tired and hungry: lunchtime before naps, and then just before my husband would get home for the wind down into bath, dinner and bedtime. I still find those times toughest now, although in a different way. I found, then and now, that having routine and predictability was key to making those parts of the day smooth. And one thing that never failed to make things easier, and still does, is making sure that we eat healthily and that that is as easy as possible in those times. I know that as naptime approaches, the kids and I get a bit crabby. A large part of that is us getting hungry. So if I can pull out some already roasted vegetables, cooked meat or tinned fish or cooked beans, and prepared wholegrains like a batch of these delicious cornbread muffins… well, the day goes a lot smoother, that’s for sure!
It helps that when I pull these out, everyone is already much happier. They are sweet and savoury, delicious and more-ish. We love them. So when the kids see me putting one on their plate with the protein and veg, they are already smiling.
What they don’t know, but that I very much appreciate, is how easy they are to put together. Once a month, I fill a few large jars with the dry ingredients and stick them straight in the freezer with instructions written on them. The day before (or weekend before, or morning) I want them, I get out the dry mix, stir the wet ingredients straight into the jar and scoop them into 6 holes of a muffin tin. Then I leave them to bake, et voila. Simple.
A few mins work, and a few of my the kids’ tantrums averted.
Thank God for cornbread muffins!
These are especially yummy served for breakfast, brunch or lunch alongside a healthy helping of veggies and some bacon, eggs, cooked meat, cooked/tinned fish or cooked/tinned beans. Some low sugar salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream are yummy additions to the meal, too!
Delicious, easy and perfect for batch/freezer cooking, these cornbread muffins are sugar free and really yummy! Easy to make ahead of time to make healthy lunchtimes simple.
- 85 g (2/3 cup) wholegrain flour (wholewheat or spelt are lovely)
- 75 g (1/2 cup) polenta flour (cornmeal)
- 1 tbsp xylitol, optional (for added sweetness)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch sea salt
- handful frozen or tinned drained sweetcorn
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium egg
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) milk + a squeeze of lemon juice (or buttermilk or yogurt)
- optional add ins: sliced jalapenos, grated carrot, roasted red peppers, black olives, or feta cheese
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First, mix the dry ingredients: flour, polenta, xylitol, baking powder, salt and sweetcorn. If you want to make up a big batch ahead of time, mix or layer the dry ingredients in a large jar or freezer safe container and then mix up the same amount of dry ingredients again into as many containers as you like. You can store these containers in the freezer straightaway and just take them out when you are ready to bake them.
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When you are ready to bake the muffins, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Into each batch of dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients: the oil, egg and milk. Mix to combine. If it looks a little dry, add some more milk until it is a fairly wet batter. If using any of the optional add ins, add them now. Pour into a greased muffin tin (each batch will make 6 muffins), filling each muffin hole almost to the top.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out just clean. Be careful not to over-bake, as they can easily get dry if cooked for too long.
